Bilbo (my dog) got skunked again last night, the fourth time in two months ,and I have been thinking they are getting drawn by the compost I throw out in the berry patch. Besides, fertilizer can always be needed even if it takes a year.
I took off the wheels since I will use that for something else. And although you can just drill holes in the bottom and put dirt in there, I decided to cut off the whole bottom and sink it in the ground. I used a jigsaw because my boyfriend had the sawzall but actually, the plastic cut really well. I wore my respirator since plastic fumes from the heat of cutting are very bad for you. Although, like I said, it cut with no trouble so I might not have needed it.
I picked an out-of-the-way but sunny location for my compost bin. I dug a hole for it, and the ground here in Crestline is very soft and easy to dig since it is so fertilized by pine needles already.
Compost needs sun, moisture and oxygen to decompose fast. The bottom cut off should let worms and bugs help me out too.
The sunny location and the lid will keep it like a greenhouse, and I've been told adding a cup of water when you add the already moist compost will keep it humid to decompose faster.
For oxygen, and also so rain will go in, I drilled holes in the lid, I think they are 3/8 of an inch but you could drill more of smaller ones instead.
I back-filled around my bin just a little so nobody or animal will break an ankle but not enough so the sides come in.
When it gets a good layer of compost, I will use my shovel or pitchfork to stir it around and do that every time it gets a good layer of compost.
The other good thing about cutting off the bottom is I will be able to slide the whole thing up if I need to instead of trying to lift a heavy bin of dirt, but this is low enough I can shovel straight out of it.
Compost doesn't stink unless you are right up in it or don't have any air holes but I still put it away from my house since the gnats love it.
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